slicker

noun

slick·​er ˈsli-kər How to pronounce slicker (audio)
Synonyms of slickernext
1
[slick entry 1] : oilskin
broadly : raincoat
2
[slick to defraud cleverly]
a(1)
: a clever crook : swindler
(2)
: slickster
b
: a city dweller especially of stylish and well-groomed appearance or sophisticated mannerisms

Synonyms of slicker

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Examples of slicker in a Sentence

he put on his slicker and boots and headed out into the rain dressed in their designer duds, the out-of-state slickers stood out amongst the locals at the harvest supper
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For the dapper dog walker there's plenty of tweed caps and country-style rain slickers. — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024 This fluid sends essential nutrients to the cartilage in a joint space, creating a slicker surface for joints. — Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022 City slickers will definitely get a bang for their buck with this place, which is a lot more spacious than a shoebox on the Upper East Side. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Nov. 2025 The European far right is skillfully seizing the moment, promising an agricultural overhaul and a chance to stick it to the city slickers. — Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024 Outfitted in hard hats and slickers, visitors ride 1,500 feet deep into the tunnels for an up-close look at mining techniques, conditions and dangers. — Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Jan. 2024 The bathtub ring may be the emergency’s most visible manifestation—the drought equivalent of Don Lemon in a rain slicker, weathering gale-force winds in a megastorm. — Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2022 Check out the collection of some 200 historic small craft, the Blacksmith Shop, an 1851 American clipper ship, and the Tugboat Pilot House, where kids can don rain slickers and take the wheel of a tugboat. — Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023 During the Waleses' trip to Canada in October 1991, Diana made time between touring an AIDS hospice and a women's shelter to join William, 9, and Harry, 7, on a visit to Niagara Falls, where the trio donned rain slickers for a wet and wild voyage on the Maid of the Mist. — Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slicker was in 1881

Phrases Containing slicker

Rhymes for slicker

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Browse Nearby Words

slickenside
slicker
slickly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slicker. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

slicker

noun
slick·​er ˈslik-ər How to pronounce slicker (audio)
1
: a long loose raincoat often of rubberized cloth or plastic
2
: a sly clever crook

More from Merriam-Webster on slicker

Nglish: Translation of slicker for Spanish Speakers

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